The Shortest Season
by Wayward-Assbutt
Summary: What if Jack had been believed in earlier by the Weasley twins? Short one-shot drabbles.


"_Childhood is a short season"_

_-Helen Hayes-_

It was the wind that lead him to the secluded area of Scotland. It carried him past mountains, above small villages, over the trees, and all the while he merely let the wind carry him. He trusted the icy North wind, for as long as he could remember, the wind had been his only companion. The Spirit of Winter merely allowed the wind to do what it wanted. Apparently the wind wanted him to visit Scotland.

The spirits name was Jackson Overland Frost- not that he knew that- but to him his name was Jack Frost. It was a name given to him many years ago by the Man in the Moon. Who is Jack Frost you might ask? He is the one that brings the snow, the frost, and most importantly, _the fun._ With hair as white as freshly fallen snow, eyes as blue as the sky, teeth so white they made the Tooth Fairy swoon, and pale skin it was as if he was the embodiment of snow himself.

The white haired teenager was on his way home after another failed attempt to break into Santa Claus'- North to his friends- workshop. Jack swore he would've made it this time if the Yeti Phil hadn't followed the trail of frost to his hiding place. It had become a sort of tradition for Jack to try and get into the secret work shop of North. Actually, it was more of a game. Unfortunately, whenever he got close to the finish, Phil would catch him and merely point to a window with a grunt. And then the game would start over.

He thought the wind would take him back to Burgess, the small town in America that he was particularly attached to, but instead it stopped over a valley. Jack floated mid-air, wind whipping at his blue hooded jumper, and gazed down-hardly believing his eyes. Resting next to a large lake was a large castle. It was like the ones Jack had seen crumble to ruins in years previous. This one though showed no signs of wear. Lights were even on!

Curiosity got the better of Jack as he let the wind sweep him down to look into the window of a random turret. He perched on the window ledge, ignoring the frost that crept over the window-pane. Inside was an elderly man with a spectacular beard and a strange cloak. He was sitting at a desk looking rather thoughtful. Jack smiled a little bit, wiping away the frost so he could see a little better. He pushed his bare feet harder into the snow on the ledge so that he had better purchase. The curious spirit watched as the man stood up and began pacing- never once turning his attention to the teen peering into his office. The elderly man pulled a stick from his pocket and pointed it at a fire place. Without a word a fire sprung to life, illuminating the room and banishing the shadows.

"Wizards," Jack breathed, his breath causing more frost to form on the window, "can you believe it? I thought they were only in France."

Jack had seen wizards before. He had sought them out actually. He found a particular school in France with a name he couldn't pronounce. He'd gone there in hope that someone would be able to see him, after all, they were myths as well, and surely they would be able to see him. But they hadn't been able to. He'd had the children walk straight through him, leaving a cold and empty sensation in his chest, one that he was used to.

"Amazing," Jack pushed off the ledge as the man walked to the window. The man pushed open the window curiously and watched as the snow fell onto the grounds- gazing at it in confusion- because winter had yet to even start yet.

"Curious," the man said as he caught one of the snow flakes and watched as it melted in the palm of his hand, "the students are going to enjoy this."

"Damn right they are," Jake chortled as he zoomed down towards the ground.

As he landed, his bare feet made little noise. He stood on the slightly snow covered ground and gazed up at the castle again. There were children in there. That meant there might be a believer. Maybe someone would be able to see him. Jack held onto that naïve hope as he began lazily walking towards the large lake. When the children awoke Jack would find them, he built himself up to believe someone would see him, but he couldn't concrete the thought until the children woke up. Until then he had time on his hands.

As he walked his staff trailed behind him. It didn't look like much. Shaped like a Shepard's hook the wood was old and gnarled. Wherever his hands touched was covered with frost, giving the staff a blue glow. It was a weapon by all means, but to Jack; it was merely just a way to channel his need for adventure.

He walked casually onto the lake. It instantly froze underneath him. He kept on walking until he was in the centre. Then in one smooth move he slammed the butt of his staff into the ice below his feet. Thick ice sprawled out across the lake until it was completely covered. Smiling to himself he couldn't help but chuckle. This lake was so much bigger than his one back home.

It would certainly be better for ice skating on. Bells of laughter escaped him as he travelled over the lake, staff perched over one shoulder. He laughed louder as he created ramps to fly off of. There was just so much space! Through the ice he spotted a giant squid who didn't look too pleased with his lake being frozen over. Jack just smiled brighter, teeth gleaming in the moonlight, as he continued to travel over the lake. He was about to execute a perfect quadruple backflip (quite simple, actually) when he heard voices.

That was the first time he laid eyes on the Weasley Twin.

The spirit of winter casually skated over to the edge of the lake and peered into the darkness. He could see two people making their way down to the lake, guided by a small light. Pushing his staff into the ground, he jumped up and perched on the top of it, perfectly balanced. Squinting, he finally got a good look at the people. There were two of them- both identical. They were rugged up in thick woollen jumpers and scarves, both home-made. One wore one with a _F _while the other bore an _G. _They looked about eleven-but their tall gangly forms made them see slightly older.

Twins.

Jack loved twins.

They stopped on the lakes edge. In the G Sweaters hand was a worn piece of parchment. They both stared at it with confused faces. The one wearing the F gazed out across the lake, raising his wand slightly to spread light a little better. Jack smiled a sad smile.

"You sure this thing works properly, George?" the one in the F sweater asked the second twin that was holding the map, "it's probably just something Filch took of some kid because he was bored."

"It hasn't failed us yet, Fred," George said, "it's been right all day."

"Well, I don't see any kid out here," Fred folded his arms over his chest.

"Maybe he's hiding," George got a grin on his face as he raised his voice slightly, "hey! Your names Jack, right? We won't dob you in."

Jack's breath caught in his throat. He straightened up from a top his staff, "you can see me?" he asked as he jumped off and ran to the twins. He was standing less than an arms distance away when he said, "you can actually see me?"

"He should be right in front of us," George peered at the map and Jacks spirits fell.

Fred stuck out a hand. Jack winced and folded in on himself slightly as the hand went right through his stomach. Coldness filled him, along with sadness. They couldn't see him.

"See, it's faulty," Fred muttered, "maybe we can fix it."

Jack moved closer and looked down onto the map. It looked like a map of the school, but things on it were moving, little feet with names written underneath it. Sure enough, there was his name _Jack Frost, _right in front of _Fred and George Weasley. _Hope bloomed in his chest again. Maybe he could _make _them believe. Bending down he quickly wrote something in the snow. The characters were messy, and what he knew of the English language was very little. He knew how to read and write, but he was out of practice. Very carefully, he straightened up and tugged on Fred's scarf, forcing him to look down.

"George," Fred knelt in the snow, pointing his wand down at the message, "look."

"No way," George knelt down, and Jack found himself following, "_I'm here," _he read the message, "do you think it could be a-"

"-ghost?" the other twin finished the sentence.

Jack quickly scrubbed out the previous sentence. He very carefully wrote, _not ghost, _in the snow. He was smiling brightly at the twins. It was his first human contact in nearly three-hundred years.

"What are you?" George questioned, looking slightly over Jacks shoulder.

"I don't know," Jack said as he gazed up to the moon for a moment. He paused for a moment. Just as he was going to write his response, a voice broke through the night.

"Up to mischief again, boys?" it was the voice of the man from the office.

The two twins spun around and hid the map in their waistband. Jack straightened up and gazed at the elderly man who stood casually in the snow.

"I wouldn't say mischief, sounds so bad-"

"-we're actually exploring," Fred finished for his brother, "bit unusual for the lake to be frozen over so quickly. Don't you think so, Professor Dumbledore?"

"I must say that I agree," Dumbledore replied. Jack noticed that the man's eyes sparkled slightly, "but that is a mystery that will just have to wait until morning. You should return to bed before you catch a cold, or worse, Mr Filch finds you."

"Yes, sir," they replied in unison.

"Go on then," Dumbledore gestured to the castle.

"Follow us," Fred whispered in a low voice.

Jack was surprised. He gripped his staff and watched as the twins began to walk up through the thickening snow to the castle. His surprise shocked him into stillness. Human interaction, something he craved for, for so many years. They didn't believe in him, and yet they still communicated. His heart was as light as a snow flake as he ran to catch up with the twins. He followed them through the castle. It was amazing. So large, so magical, Jack couldn't help but get distracted at every corner.

It was warm. Jack could stand warmth, as long as he wasn't near it for too long. After all, warmth did melt snow. He followed the twins through a hole behind a portrait and found himself in a large red and gold room. It was slightly stuffy from a large fire. Various seats were scattered around, all empty. The paintings on the walls were all asleep. It was amusing and heart-warming at the same time.

"Knock twice if you're still here," George said softly and Jack knocked with enthusiasm on a table.

"Go get your History of Magic book," Fred whispered to George, "I've heard the name Jack Frost before."

Jack didn't think it was possible, but his spirits lifted more. "You've heard of me? You've actually heard of me?"

He didn't receive as answer.

Jack couldn't help but walk around the room in excitement. It was a little too warm in here so he moved over to the fire and froze it with a single breath. Fred let out an appreciative whistle as he quickly lit his wand again. The second twin returned with a thick book. He was flicking through it so fast that Jack had trouble keeping up.

"Here," George said quickly, "you were right, Fred."

"When aren't I?" Fred replied quickly as he read a page from the book, "_Jokul Frost, or Jack Frost, is the legendary Norse personification of winter that the wizard Trentmore Richardson attempted to impersonate in the battle of Song Hill 1733, in an attempt to stop the war between Iceland and Finland-"_

Jack snorted at that, but still eagerly waited.

"Did mum always used to say that Jack Frost would be nipping at our noses?" George asked his twin.

"Jack Frost is just a legend though," Fred mused, "a Muggle one at that."

"Okay, guy," Jack presumed he was being addressed, "knock three times if you're the, uh, _legendary personification of winter."_

The Weasley twins heard the three knocks as clear as day. They turned to look at each other. When they turned away from each other they found themselves not looking at someone new. They both smiled brightly at the guy in front of him. He looked about eighteen, with a pale face, white hair, blue eyes, and a slightly mischievous face. Wearing a piece of Muggle attire and strange worn leggings, he looked nothing like what they had expected.

"Wicked,"

That was just the beginning of their found friendship.

_*~*~THE SHORTEST SEASON*~*_

The first time they laughed together was when they got Jack to follow Professor Quirrel around and berate him with snowballs. That became one of Jack's happiest memories.

_*~*~THE SHORTEST SEASON*~*_

Jack dropped in every single winter for as long as the snow schedule would allow. It was a glorious feeling to be believed in. His chest didn't feel empty. He didn't always feel so angry and upset. He felt good- euphoric even. Fred and George were the best believers he could've dreamed of. Prankster, tricksters, and mischievous- Jack got along with them so well it was hard to believe. It was 1991 and the twins were in third year. Even as they grew older, they still believed.

He was currently sitting on the Georges desk in the dungeons. Fred and George were currently in potions class. It was a class taught by a greasy haired 'git', Professor Snape. Usually Jack would avoid classes like the plague, but this time Fred and George had asked him to come. It wasn't like he had anything to do.

The white haired teen quickly became bored. He began pacing the desks, peering in cauldrons with curiosity, all the while carrying his staff over his shoulder. His bare feet made no noise on the desks. The only signal of his presence was the chill that followed him around. When he passed a desk, the students would shiver and shudder, Jack liked to see who could go the longest without shivering. It seemed Professor Snape was lasting the longest. Jack followed the man around the room but the sallow faced man didn't even show any signs of being cold. Scowling slightly he rested the butt of his staff on the ground and watched as ice covered the ground. The teacher slipped, but managed to catch himself on a table. The whole class turned to look, while Fred and George snickered behind their hands.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor," the teacher said lazily in his usual drawl, "next time, Weasley, it'll be detention."

"He's just a bucket of fun," Jack set his staff upright before perching a top it. He casually reached down and touched someone's cauldron, making it freeze over solidly. The boy groaned loudly and began fervently attempting to crack the ice.

"And what have you managed to do, Mr Diggory?" Snape drawled as he gazed into the cauldron, "ten points from Hufflepuff. Start over."

"Yes, sir," the boy replied meekly.

Jack gazed at the teacher for a moment, before blowing into his hands, a snow ball forming quickly there. He readied his aim before throwing it. He fist pumped as it hit the teacher straight in the back of his head. Fred and George started chuckling again.

"Detention, Weasley's," Snape wiped the snow from his hair.

_*~*~THE SHORTEST SEASON*~*_

It was in 1992 when he found another believer. Her name was Ginny Weasley- the adorable red headed sister of the twins. She was friendly and happy. Unfortunately, she didn't believe for long. She lasted half the year. Jack would sit at the table with her during dinner, between her and Fred. He'd talk to her and the twins. They'd ask about the weather and how he was. He'd ask about classes and detentions. It was a nice balance.

"Jack…can I ask you something?" she had asked him on one chilly morning, early in the common room. She was still dressed in her pyjamas, and in her hand was clasped a black bound book.

"You just did," Jack casually spun his staff around.

Ginny didn't seem to be in a joking mood though, "do you ever feel like you're doing something wrong, even though you haven't done anything?"

Jack pondered the question for a moment as he created frost patterns on a window. He felt like that a lot, actually. Actually, he felt like that after the blizzard of '68. He'd just wanted to have fun. Apparently the Easter Bunny didn't enjoy his idea of fun though.

"Sometimes," Jack said as he turned towards Ginny, "why'd you ask?"

"I've been-"

"Morning," Fred walked down the stairs.

Ginny didn't say anything else after that.

Then one day Ginny came to dinner and sat on him. Well, technically _through him._ Jack felt for the first time in four years the cold feeling and emptiness in his chest. All over the years he had stayed above the level of the children so he wouldn't have to fill the depressing chill of invisibility, but this time he was so caught off guard that he couldn't help a pained groan escape him, drawing the attention of Fred and George.

He pushed himself away from the table and sat on the floor, gripping his chest, waiting for the chill to pass. Fred and George gazed at him with worried eyes for their friend. They knew what that meant-Jack had told them long ago what it meant-, it meant Ginny didn't believe.

"You okay, mate?" Fred asked the winter spirit.

"Fine," Jack breathed as he forced a fake smile onto his face. He was good at fake smiles. "It seems your sister's grown up faster than you two," he joked lightly as he flew into the air and casually moved over to the soup that had been brought out for dinner and froze it into a solid block.

"You sure?" George questioned, gazing at his wintery friend.

"Positive," Jack gave George his biggest and brightest smile, "everyone has to grow up eventually, right?"

_*~*~THE SHORTEST SEASON*~*_

In was in the Christmas of 1994 that he received his first ever Christmas present. It was a scarf. It was long, blue and decorated with snowflakes.

"We brought it in Diagon Alley," Fred said with a smile as he watched Jack run his hands along the wool.

"It's really….warm," was all Jack managed to say.

"Let's hope you don't melt," George said with a wink.

Jack lost the scarf two years later somewhere over Russia. He searched for two days before finally giving up.

_*~*~THE SHORTEST SEASON*~*_

It was in 1995 when things got interested. A particular lady, who went by the name of Dolores Umbridge, came to teach at the school. Jack instantly took a disliking to her. She was all about rules and order, two things Jack hated. That's how he became her own personal torturer. It started as a simple game to fill his time. He'd freeze her cups of tea and watch as she huffed and puffed angrily about the temperature control of the school. He then would steal her stuff and hide them away in various corners of the school.

Then she started hurting children.

He supposed he couldn't call them children. They were teenagers after all. He first noticed it when Harry Potter- a boy Fred and George were good friends with- came in for detention. Jack was sitting on the window seal, waiting for the perfect moment to freeze the toad like women's tea, when she made him write lines. At first didn't really mind, he actually began letting the wind blow around the teens paper a little bit. Then he noticed the blood. He shifted down to the floor and watched as words began to carve themselves into the back of Harry's hand.

_I must not tell lies._

He scowled in disgust at the women.

"How can you do this to someone? Can't you see it's hurting him?" the women didn't hear him; of course, she just merely sipped her tea. When she was in mid sip, Jack froze the liquid, causing her to jump slightly and quickly do a melting spell, "you're horrendous!"

Jack touched the tip of his staff on Harry's hand and watched as the kid visibly sighed. He made the hand cold enough to ease the pain. He then pointed the staff at the women's desk. The wind came to his mental calling, forcing the window open and making all of the papers on the desk scatter all over the room. Jack then proceeded to put out the fire in the room with a simple wave of his hand. He then proceeded to smash each of her ugly cat plates that lined the wall.

"We're done here," Umbridge said to Harry, who quickly gathered his things and left.

Once he was gone, Jack proceeded to freeze the quill before hitting it to make it shatter. Who would do such a thing to a person?

_*~*~THE SHORTEST SEASON*~*_

When the twins left, Jack worked with Peeves to keep the chaos going. He found great joy in freezing first years to the floor and making them late to class. As well as making random spots of ice to make Umbridge slip. After all, someone had to keep up the chaos.

_*~*~THE SHORTEST SEASON*~*_

Fred and George left Hogwarts. Jack didn't mind very much, he still found time to talk to them when making his London rounds. Two years passed and one day he went to go to visit Fred and George, and they weren't there. The winter spirit just shrugged and went back to spreading winter. The twins had lives now. A shop to run. Family to visit. He supposed their life couldn't be centred around his.

It was during summer when he grew bored. He found Fred and Georges shop abandoned. Grimmauld Place was gathering dust. Even the Burrow was empty. There was only one place left. Hogwarts. Jack flew their as quick as the wind could carry him. He didn't like what he saw.

The castle lay in ruins, still smoking. Bodies littered the grounds, along with craters, debris and blood. His heart missed a beat as he rushed across the ground, a cold chill accompanying him. He followed one student towards the Great Hall, and found it filled with crying and injured people. Jack rushed through the hall towards the mass of red headed people he identified as the Weasley's.

He found and open spot in the group and gasped. In the centre lay Fred. He was already beginning to pale, his face was covered in grime, and a smile was still on his face. Jack didn't need to check a pulse to know if his friend was dead. His family was sobbing so hard that it was obvious.

The Spirit of Winter had dealt with death before. There was a particular girl back when the Man in the Moon first brought him to life from the lake. He didn't know her name, but she always came to the lake every day to mourn her lost brother. Jack watched as the years passed, and eventually she passed away at the young age of thirty. Unfortunately, even that hadn't prepared him for Fred's death.

He spotted the other twin and he quickly moved towards him. He went to hug the man, but he went straight through. His knees buckled slightly as he turned around to look at the other twin. His heart broke a little. George didn't believe.

Everyone had to grow up eventually, right?

**Yep….how I spend my nights when I can't sleep. Thanks for reading.**


End file.
